WE'RE FOLLOWING A DEVELOPING STORY THIS MORNING... 300 FOOT FIREBALLS, A SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS AND DARK CLOUDS IN CASSELTON, NORTH DAKOTA. AS ABCS TAHMAN BRADLEY REPORTS -- THE BATTLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES IS STILL NOT OVER THIS MORNING. 102-107 120-124 126-136 OVERNIGHT, A RUSH TO EVACUATE A SMALL NORTH DAKOTA TOWN. DANGEROUS FLAMES BURNED ALL NIGHT OUTSIDE CASSELTON, NEAR FARGOAFTER A TRAIN CARRYING GRAIN CRASHED INTO A MASSIVE TRAIN HAULING CRUDE OIL. THE CRASH SET OFF A SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS. MOS WOMAN "IT WAS THE THIRD EXPLOSION THAT RATTLED THE HOUSE. AND THE DOORS AND THE WINDOWS WERE ALL SHAKING." MOS WOMAN 2 "I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPEN BEFORE HERE AND I'VE LIVED HERE 70 YEARS." AS MANY AS TEN CARS OF THE 100-CARS OIL TRAIN CAUGHT FIRE. THE COLLISION HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER 2 O'CLOCK ON MONDAY. NO ONE WAS INJURED. BUT THE FLAMES AND SMOKE SHOT UP HUNDREDS OF FEET INTO THE AIR. MOS LOREN PARKS, EYEWITNESS "THESE CLOUDS, IT'S ALMOST LIKE NIGHTTIME. IT WAS DARK. THE ENTIRE SKY IS JUST BLACKED OUT. YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING. KINDA LIKE A BOMB." OFFICIALS WORRIED THAT HEAVY WINDS COULD SHIFT THE DANGEROUS SMOKE TOWARDS CASSELTON. HAZMAT TEAMS FROM AS FAR AWAY AS TEXAS ARE BEING CALLED IN. SOT DR. JOHN BAIRD, FARGO CASS PUBLIC HEALTH "CRUDE OIL, AS IT BURNS, HAS A LOT OF PARTICULATE MATTER IN IT, LOT OF FUMES AND OTHER BAD THINGS THAT ARE REALLY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES." THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECOMMENDED THE ENTIRE TOWN OF 24-HUNDRED PEOPLE EVACUATE -- ON A NIGHT WHEN TEMPERATURES FELL BELOW ZERO! SOT SHERIFF PAUL LANEY, CASS COUNTY, ND "OUR JOB RIGHT NOW IS TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF CASSELTON AND THE SURROUNDING AREA." THE CAUSE OF THE DERAILMENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. AN NTSB TEAM WILL BE ON SITE IN CASSELTON TODAY. TAHMAN BRADLEY, ABC